The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre - Feb 14, 1929 - HISTORY.com The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre Share this: The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre Author The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre URL Publisher A+E Networks Fourmen dressed as police officers enter gangster Bugs Moran’s headquarters on North Clark Street in Chicago, line seven of Moran’s henchmen against a wall, and shoot them to death. The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, as it is now called, was the culmination of a gang war between arch rivals Al Capone and Bugs Moran. George “Bugs” Moran was a career criminal who ran the North Side gang in Chicago during the bootlegging era of the 1920s. He fought bitterly with “Scarface” Al Capone for control of smuggling and trafficking operations in the Windy City. Throughout the 1920s, both survived several attempted murders. On one notorious occasion, Moran and his associates drovesix cars past a hotel in Cicero, Illionis, where Capone and his associates were having lunch and showered the building with more than 1,000 bullets.

A $50,000 bounty on Capone’s head was the final straw for the gangster. He ordered that Moran’s gang be destroyed. On February 14, a delivery of bootleg whiskey was expected at Moran’s headquarters. But Moran was late and happened to see police officers entering his establishment. Moran waited outside, thinking that his gunmen inside were being arrested in a raid. However, the disguised assassins were actually killing the seven men inside. The murdered men included Moran’s best killers, Frank and Pete Gusenberg. Reportedly Frank was still alive when real officers appeared on the scene. When asked who had shot him, the mortally wounded Gusenberg kept his code of silence, responding, “No one, nobody shot me.” The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre actually proved to be the last confrontation for both Capone and Moran. Capone was jailed in 1931 and Moran lost so many important men that he could no longer control his territory. On the seventh anniversary of the massacre, Jack McGurn, one of the Valentine’s Day hit men,was killed him in a crowded bowling alley with a burst of machine-gun fire.

McGurn’s killer remains unidentified, but was likely Moran, though hewas never charged with the murder. Moran was relegated to small-time robberies until he was sent to jail in 1946. He died in Leavenworth Federal Prison in 1957 of lung cancer. Related Videos hymieweiss St. Valentine's Day Massacre Part II: Top Ten Myths (plus one) Sensational crimes breed reams of newspaper print, media coverage and (eventually) books. The St. Valentine's Day massacre may be the prototype hyped national crime-- primed by the 1921 Sacco and Vanzetti trial, a precursor to the outrageous 1935 Lindberg baby kidnapping trial, a distant cousin to John Kennedy's 1963 assassination and the 1995 O. J. Simpson murder trial. Today, there are no "trials of the century" or "crimes of the century"; many dozens of murder investigations and court trials now automatically qualify for gavel to gavel coverage by the networks, cable news outlets, and every major newspaper in the nation. The sensational exception has become just another mass media clichï¿½.

Intense media scrutiny can provide enhanced public oversight which, in theory, brings out the truth. O. J. Simpson may have been found "not guilty" at the close of his criminal trial, but blanketing media coverage and exposition allowed the thoughtful to understand that someone guilty of a double murder had been acquitted. The media did little factual analysis and in-depth research in 1929, when five Northside gangsters, their auto mechanic, and a gangster "hanger-on" were murdered in a Chicago garage by Al Capone's organization. Cynical Chicago crime beat reporters who worked in a town on the take, and wanted to live to write another day, dutifully repeated information fed to them by ineffectual local police officials (many of whom were themselves on gang payrolls). We are left with a seventy-seven year trail of books, virtually all of which reverently pass down a series of fairytales as to how these killings went down. Recent efforts to explore old FBI files brought new focus on a theory of the crime first discussed by author John Kobler in his 1971 Capone biography.

Given the FBI's disconnect with the history of organized crime until the late 1950s, and the fact that J. Edgar Hoover ran the Bureau not as a crime fighting unit, but to enhance FBI public relations and assemble reams of celebrity character assassination material, any FBI information on the subject of organized crime pre-1958 is suspect on its face. What follows are the top ten myths about the St Valentine's day massacre. These are the so-called "facts" traditionally pasted onto the story of the crime over the years, all of which are unsupported by any academically referenced historical research. Without credible references from either multiple or unimpeachable sources, these fake "facts" remain nothing more than assumptions, fabrications, charming anecdotal family myths, or sensational theories. Myth #10 The Northsiders who gathered at the SMC Cartage Company at 2122 North Clark Street on February 14, 1929, were there to receive a truckload of hijacked liquor. This was part of a setup by the Capone organization to lure George Moran and his top people to that address at a specific day and time to be killed.

1 Myth #9 The persons in charge of planning the hit, and all the participants, were not part of Al Capone's outfit, but a group of mid-western bank robbers and kidnappers hired by Capone. 2 Myth #8 Capone lookouts across the North Clark Street misidentified Northsider Albert Weinshank as George Moran, setting off the carnage before the real Moran could arrive at the garage that morning. 3 Myth #7 The hit team consisted of five men, two of whom were dressed as Chicago policemen, plus two lookouts in a rooming house across the street. 4 Myth #6 2122 North Clark Street was the "headquarters" for Moran's Northsiders. 5 Myth #5 Members of the Chicago Police Department were not involved in the crime. 6 Myth #4 During the shooting, the two Thompson machine guns and the two shotguns used were not fired simultaneously. 7 Myth #3 George Moran, and either one (or two) members of his gang, were walking down North Clark Street toward the garage just as the crime went down.

Seeing the police car in front of the garage, they either, 1) ducked into a coffee shop until the police car drove off; or, 2) went into a restaurant to hide; or, 3) walked past the garage without stopping; or, 4) hurriedly returned to Moran's hotel. 8 Myth #2 Anthony Accardo (or Murray Humphreys) were part of the hit team. 9 Myth #1 After the massacre, when confronted by newspaper reporters, George Moran stated, "Only Capone kills like that." 10 And the final, and most important, myth in understanding this crime: The St. Valentine's Day hit team's primary goal was to kill George Moran. 11 St. Valentine's Day Massacre, The - Internet Movie Firearms Database - Guns in Movies, TV and Video Games St. Valentine's Day Massacre, The From Internet Movie Firearms Database - Guns in Movies, TV and Video Games Jump to: navigation , search The St. Valentine's Day Massacre (1967). The St.

Valentine's Day Massacre is the 1967 gangster film directed by Roger Corman and is based on the infamous 1929 Chicago mob shootout. The following weapons were used in the film The St. Valentine's Day Massacre: Contents 7 McGurn's personal armory Thompson M1928A1 The Thompson M1928A1 is used throughout the film by mobsters in both Capone's and Moran's gang. The use of the M1928A1 is anachronistic as most of the film is set in 1929 (with some scenes from earlier), before the development of the M1928A1. Frank Gusenberg ( David Canary ) uses a M1928A1 in an early scene when he wounds Jack McGurn in a phone booth. Two of Capone's men use M1928A1s during the actual massacre, including John Scalise ( Richard Bakalyan ) and Albert Anselmi ( Rico Cattani ).

John Scalise anarchonsticaly uses a M1928A1 with a strange MP40 style sights during the 1926 hit on Hymie Weiss( Reed Hadley ).The gangsters at this time used M1921s and M1928s (as the M1928A1 was not yet developed). During the actual massacre in 1929, one of the Thompsons used a 50-round drum magazine while the other used a 20-round stick magazine, unlike the film in which both Thompsons are equipped with 50-round drums. M1928A1 Thompson with 50-round drum magazine - .45 ACP Frank Gusenberg ( David Canary ) fires at Jack McGurn, eyes closed. One of Moran ( Ralph Meeker )'s men fires at Capone in the Hawthorne Hotel during a 1925 flashback. Bobo Borotto ( Tom Signorelli )watches the Clark Street garage with an unloaded M1928A1.

Scalise ( Richard Bakalyan )rubs garlic on the .45 ACP rounds he loads into his Thompson's drum magazine, to infect the victims if they are not killed instantly. Capone's killers line the seven massacre victims up against the wall. The muzzles of the two Thompsons as the seven men are mowed down. Scalise ( Richard Bakalyan ) and Anselmi ( Rico Cattani ) fire their Thompsons. Scalise and Anselmi fire at Weiss. In the next scene of the same hit,the M1928A1 appears with rounded sights. Double-Barreled Shotgun Several 12 Gauge Double Barreled Shotguns are used throughout the film. During the early attempted hit on McGurn, Pete Gusenberg ( George Segal ) aims a shotgun out his car window. Frank later holds one when Nick and Pete are whiskey-dealing. Gino ( Jack Nicholson in an early uncredited role) helps load the shotguns later used in the massacre. Two of Capone's men (dressed as policemen) use double-barreled shotguns during the massacre, firing both barrels at the end to finish off the victims.

This is historically correct as four shotgun shells were found at the scene. Charles Parker 1878 Side by Side Shotgun - 12 Gauge. The Parker Gun Company was absorbed into Remington in 1934. Pete ( George Segal ) waits for Frank to finish the hit with his shotgun ready. Frank holds a shotgun on Nick. Gino ( Jack Nicholson ) unloads the shotguns. Capone's killers line the seven massacre victims up against the wall. The "police officers" fire their shotguns into the bodies of the massacre victims. Colt Detective Special Almost every gangster in the film uses a Colt Detective Special . Jack McGurn ( Clint Ritchie ) and his bodyguard are both armed with Detective Specials.

Al Capone ( Jason Robards ) disarms Charlie Fischetti ( Paul Richards ) of one, swearing death for Lolordo's death.Joe Aiello ( Alexander D'Arcy ), packs himself a Colt DS while trying to escape,but Al Capone disarms him and kicks him with tthe butt of revolver so he can cut his throat .Scalise and Anselmi use them in the killing of Dion O'Banion ( John Agar ) and are both disarmed of their Detective Specials by Capone's mobsters in the end. McGurn gives Nick Sorello ( Frank Silvera ) an unloaded Detective Special from his armory, which Pete Gusenberg later takes from him and tosses aside. Moran's right hand man James Clark ( Kurt Kreuger ) uses a Detective Special during the killing of Patsy Lolordo ( Michele Guarini ). Colt Detective Special - .38 Special McGurn ( Clint Ritchie )'s bodyguard stands at his side with a Colt DS drawn. Capone's bodyguard lays next to him with a Detective Special drawn during the Hawthorne Hotel ambush flashback. Scalise and Anselmi kill Dion O'Banion ( John Agar ).

Nick Sorello ( Frank Silvera ) checks his new Detective Special from McGurn. Clark ( Kurt Kreuger ) threatens one of Lolordo ( Michele Guarini )'s men. Capone stares at Fischetti's Detective Special when he swears vengeance for Lolordo's death. "Basta!A-sa-si-no" Capone's men, armed with their own Detective Specials and the ones they disarmed, intimidate Scalise and Anselmi as Capone approaches them with a baseball bat. Thompson M1921 More historically accurate than the M1928A1s more commonly seen in the film, a Thompson M1921 is wielded by Pete Gusenberg during the Hawthorne Hotel ambush in 1925. M1921 Thompson .45 ACP Pete fires an M1921 at the Hawthorne Hotel. Pete moves closer to the hotel to get a better shot. Winchester Model 1897 During the 1926 hit on Hymie Weiss ( Reed Hadley ), Albert Anselmi( Rico Cattani )slamfires a Winchester Model 1897 .

Another Model 1897 is seen during the final montage held by a prison guard at Moran's funeral in 1957. Winchester Model 1897 Riot Gun - 12 gauge. Scalise and Anselmi prepare to kill Hymie Weiss ( Reed Hadley ). Scalise and Anselmi kill Weiss. Colt Police Positive The two Capone hitmen dressed as policemen during the massacre carry Colt Police Positive revolvers. Colt Police Positive - .38 Special. The "police officers" order Moran's men to line up against the wall. McGurn's personal armory McGurn keeps his own personal armory behind a wall in his brothel/nightclub, which contains: three Winchester Model 1897 shotguns (with room for one more) three double-barreled shotguns St. Valentine’s Day Massacre - Facts & Summary - HISTORY.com St. Valentine’s Day Massacre St. Valentine’s Day Massacre Author St.

Valentine’s Day Massacre URL A+E Networks Introduction Gang warfare ruled the streets of Chicago during the late 1920s, as chief gangster Al Capone sought to consolidate control by eliminating his rivals in the illegal trades of bootlegging, gambling and prostitution. This rash of gang violence reached its bloody climax in a garage on the city’s North Side on February 14, 1929, when seven men associated with the Irish gangster George “Bugs” Moran, one of Capone’s longtime enemies, were shot to death by several men dressed as policemen. The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, as it was known, was never officially linked to Capone, but he was generally considered to have been responsible for the murders. Google The Rise of Scarface From 1924 to 1930, the city of Chicago gained a widespread reputation for lawlessness and violence. Not coincidentally, this phenomenon coincided with the reign of chief crime lord Al “Scarface” Capone, who took over from his boss Johnny Torrio in 1925.

(Torrio, who was seriously wounded in an assassination attempt in 1924, had “retired” to Brooklyn.) Prohibition , ushered in by the passage of the 18th Amendment in 1920, had greatly increased the earnings of America’s gangsters through bootlegging (the illegal manufacture and sale of alcohol) and speakeasies (illicit drinking establishments), as well as gambling and prostitution. Capone’s income from these activities was estimated at some $60 million a year; his net worth in 1927 was around $100 million. Did You Know? George "Bugs" Moran was on his way to the garage in Chicago at the time of the St. Valentine's Day Massacre; he missed getting killed by minutes. A few days later, he told reporters "Only Capone kills like that." Reached at his Florida home for comment on the murders, Capone offered his own opinion: "The only man who kills like that is Bugs Moran." Over the years, Capone consolidated control over most of Chicago’s crime rackets by ruthlessly gunning down his rivals.

In 1924, authorities counted some 16 gang-related murders; this brand of continued until 1929, reaching a high of 64 murders in one year during that time. Federal authorities, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, had much less jurisdiction than they have today, and did not include Chicago’s gang-related activity. Massacre on St. Valentine’s Day Chicago’s gang war reached its bloody climax in the so-called St. Valentine’s Day Massacre of 1929. One of Capone’s longtime enemies, the Irish gangster George “Bugs” Moran, ran his bootlegging operations out of a garage on the North Side of Chicago. On February 14, seven members of Moran’s operation were gunned down while standing lined up, facing the wall of the garage. Some 70 rounds of ammunition were fired. When police officers from Chicago’s 36th District arrived, they found one gang member, Frank Gusenberg, barely alive. In the few minutes before he died, they pressed him to reveal what had happened, but Gusenberg wouldn’t talk.

Police could find only a few eyewitnesses, but eventually concluded that gunmen dressed as police officers had entered the garage and pretended to be arresting the men. Though Moran and others immediately blamed the massacre on Capone’s gang, the famous gangster himself claimed to have been at his home in Florida at the time. No one was ever brought to trial for the murders. The Downfall of Public Enemy No. 1 Though the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre marked the end of any significant gang opposition to Capone’s rule in Chicago, it can also be said to have marked the beginning of his downfall. With his highly effective organization, his impressive income and his willingness to ruthlessly eliminate his rivals, Capone had become the country’s most notorious gangster, and the newspapers dubbed him “Public Enemy No. 1.” Federal authorities began investigating Capone after he failed to appear before a federal grand jury after being subpoenaed in March 1929. When he finally appeared and testified, federal agents arrested him for contempt of court. Capone posted bond and was released, only to be arrested in Philadelphia that May on charges of carrying concealed weapons. Capone served nine months in prison and was released for good behavior.

In February 1931, a federal court found Capone guilty on the contempt charge and sentenced him to six months in Cook County Jail. Meanwhile, the U.S. Treasury Department had launched an investigation of Capone for income tax evasion. Through diligent forensic accounting, Special Agent Frank Wilson and other members of the Intelligence Unit of the Internal Revenue Service were able to put together a case, and in June 1931 Capone was indicted for evasion of federal income tax. Convicted that October after an internationally publicized trial, Capone was sentenced to 11 years in prison, first in Atlanta and later at Alcatraz . He was released in 1939 and died an invalid recluse at his Florida home in 1947. Tags St. Valentine's Day Massacre: Tale of two guns | WZZM13.com National Politics St.

Valentine's Day Massacre: Tale of two guns "Two of the hitmen, who had Thompson submachine guns, one containing a 20-round box magazine and the other a 50-round drum, opened fire, continuing to spray their victims with bullets after they had all hit the floor.” Brent Ashcroft CONNECT TWEET LINKEDIN GOOGLE+ PINTEREST ST. JOSEPH, Mich. (WZZM) -- The early 1920's were a very interesting time in the United States. World War I had drawn to a close, and the country’s economy was transitioning from wartime to peacetime. Prosperity was sweeping the land, and modern traditions were falling quickly by the wayside. Prim and proper was being replaced by the flapper, while jazz and big bands blossomed. The era became known as the Roaring 20's. It was defined by a boom in construction and a rapid growth in consumer goods. Luxury items such as automobiles and electricity, previously attainable only by the elite, were becoming commonplace among American families.

While the culture and general attitude of the country was swiftly changing and people were enjoying many freedoms they’d never had before, the savage irony was that, at the same time, there was one major freedom that was being taken away. Alcohol. Many mobsters spent leisure time in southwest Michigan. The National Prohibition Act, known informally as the Volstead Act, was enacted in 1920, with the sole purpose of carrying out the intent of the Eighteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which effectively established the banning of alcoholic beverages in the United States by declaring the production, transport, and sale of alcohol. President Woodrow Wilson vetoed the bill, but his veto was overridden by both the Senate and House of Representatives. Effective immediately, booze was banned from coast to coast. People could no longer produce, sell or transport intoxicating liquors. “When Prohibition came along, you took something that was legal and made it illegal,” said Michael Kline, who currently serves as a Lieutenant for the Berrien County Sheriff’s Department.

“Americans wanted their spirits; that’s how we socialized, so it became very profitable for those who could provide it.” “The gangster era rose up from the passage of Prohibition,” said said Chriss Lyon, historian and author of the book entitled A Killing in Capone’s Playground. “They monopolized alcohol and sold it for a premium because they knew people wanted their booze and didn’t want the government telling them they couldn’t have it.” Al Capone was an American gangster who rose to fame during the Prohibition era. Capone and many of his associates would travel 90-miles east and frequently vacation in the Michigan cities of St. Joseph and Benton Harbor. (Photo: Domain) The booze wars began in major cities like Chicago, when organized crime syndicates led by the likes of Al Capone and George “Bugs” Moran started killing each other over territory. George “Bugs Moran” was a Chicago Prohibition-era gangster, and was Al Capone’s hated rival. On February 14, 1929, during an event that has become known as the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, seven members of Moran’s gang were gunned down in a garage.

(Photo: Domain) “The gangsters knew which end of a gun went bang, and which didn’t,” said Kline, jokingly. “Control the turf, you control the business, and if you controlled the business, you controlled the money.” As the gangster wars raged on, and the criminal underworld caused many to experience great fear, cities like Chicago became corrupt and lawless. “Between Capone and Moran, Capone was far more organized,” said Kline. “Capone had far more politicians, judges and law enforcement on his payroll.” Even though Capone seemingly was becoming the king of the Windy City, he and his associates needed someplace other than the big city to rest, relax and take their minds off the business. “They chose to vacation in Berrien County,” said Lyon. “We’re only 90 miles from Chicago, so these mobsters and killers considered cities like Benton Harbor and St. Joseph as an oasis.” Southwest Michigan became the gangsters’ playground, of sorts. “When the gangsters would visit Berrien County, they were nothing but gentlemen when interacting with the locals,” said Lyon.

“They were all about relaxing and enjoying the amenities of the area.” Lyon says when gangsters like Al Capone and Fred “Killer” Burke visited Benton Harbor, they were considered by many to be philanthropists because they would always generously tip, freely hand money to the homeless and buy ice cream for kids. “The tips the gangsters handed out to waiters and waitresses at local restaurants, and to elevator bellhops, were often times more money than a family would make in several months,” added Lyon. “It was very easy for the locals to forget these guys were bad guys.” Fact is, they were bad. Really bad. “They’d roll up in their big, black sedans, wearing their fedoras and smoking cigars,” said Lyon. Capone and his associates would always stay at either The Hotel Vincent in Benton Harbor or the Whitcomb Hotel in St. Joseph, and would entertain at the area’s finest restaurants and relax on the sandy beaches. “As much as they enjoyed spending time here, and it allowed them to take their minds off crime and killing, they knew they eventually had to get back to their business in Chicago,” said Lyon.

Every time Capone returned to Chicago from his stay in Michigan, the warfare over booze and senseless killings continued, and the battle line drawn between Capone’s and Moran’s gangs continued to cut deeper and deeper. The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre The fierce war reached a gruesome peak on February 14th, 1929. St. Valentine’s Day. “Both Capone’s and Moran’s organizations were getting their booze from the Purple Gang in Detroit,” added Kline. “In order for Capone to gain complete control of the lucrative Chicago bootlegging business, he knew he needed to take Moran out.” The front of the SMC Cartage Company garage, which was located at 2122 North Clark St. in Chicago, Illinois, where the infamous St. Valentine’s Day Massacre unfolded on February 14th, 1929. (Photo: Berrien County Sheriff’s Department) One of the theories is Capone set up lookouts (or spies) near a garage located at 2122 North Clark St., in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago’s North Side. Moran was known to frequent that location because he liked to inspect his liquor shipments in person.

The lookouts found out when a shipment of high-end whisky was going to be delivered and knew that Moran would likely come to inspect it, confining him to a specific area. They reported this information back to Capone. “Since Capone had good business relations with members of Detroit’s Purple Gang, a theory is that Capone was able to get some ‘hitters’ on loan from them for the ambush on Moran,” said Kline. On St. Valentine’s Day, by 10:30 a.m., most of Moran’s gang had arrived at the garage, but Moran was not there, but Capone’s lookouts thought they saw him enter the garage. “The plan was not to eliminate the entire North Side gang – just Moran,” said Lyon. “Witnesses say they saw Moran himself, and one of his associates, approaching the garage from a side street, but when they saw a police car pull up, Moran and his counterpart turned, and ducked into a nearby coffee shop.

“Moran saw that something was about to go down and this is how he avoided becoming a victim of the massacre.” Witnesses near the garage say they saw a Cadillac sedan stop out front, then two men dressed as police officers got out of the car and entered the garage. More witnesses came forward saying they noticed another car come to a stop at the other end of the street, and two more police officers jumped out. Two of the fake cops were carrying shotguns and entered the rear portion of the garage. They immediately found members of Moran’s gang. Five of Moran’s mob associates were located inside the garage, plus gang collaborators. “All seven men were lined up against the back inside wall of the garage and patted down,” added Kline. “The two fake cops then signaled to the pair in civilian clothes who had accompanied them. Two of the hitmen, who had Thompson submachine guns, one containing a 20-round box magazine and the other a 50-round drum, opened fire, continuing to spray their victims with bullets after they had all hit the floor.” The seven men were literally ripped apart by the barrage of bullets, and two of the victims had their faces shot off, according to the coroner’s report.

“The scene was complete carnage,” said Kline. “These men were lined up like sheep and mowed down." “Witnesses afterwards said they saw the two police officers exit the garage, with what appeared to be two men with their hands up. They all got into the sedan that was parked out front, and took off.” The first witnesses who entered the garage said there was one victim that was still alive – Frank Gusenberg, who had somehow survived 14 bullet wounds. Gusenberg would die three hours later, refusing to utter a single word about the identities of the killers. The victims of the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre included five members of Moran’s North Side gang, an optician and an auto mechanic: On February 14, 1929, these seven men were savagely murdered at a warehouse in the Lincoln Park district of Chicago, Illinois. Associates connected to Al Capone’s South Side gang performed the hit, hoping to take out George “Bugs” Moran. (Photo: WZZM) Reinhardt Schwimmer – an optician who had abandoned his practice to associate with the Moran gang. John May – was a car mechanic for the Moran gang, but was not a gang member.

Albert Kachellek – (Alias “James Clark”) Moran’s second in command. Peter Gusenberg – frontline enforcer for the Moran organization. Frank Gusenberg – brother of Peter Gusenberg and also an enforcer for Moran. Frank was alive when police first arrived on the scene, despite being riddled with 14 bullets. He died 3 hours later without telling anyone who committed the murders. Adam Heyer – the bookkeeper and business manager for Moran’s gang. Albert Weinshank – resembled Bugs Moran, and was likely the individual Capone’s “lookouts” saw entering the garage that day, and decided was Moran. He managed several cleaning and dyeing operations for Moran. “Police corruption in Chicago at the time of the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre was off the charts,” Kline said. “The victims probably thought they were getting lined up by corrupt cops." “They were likely willing to take a bribe, or let the cops take a couple cases of the whiskey, so they could be set free, but that didn’t happen.” It didn’t take long for authorities to open an investigation.

Mug shots of four Purple members were picked out by landlords of rooming houses which were located directly across the street from the Clark Street garage were the massacre happened. It didn’t take long for the landlords to waver on their identification, resulting in three of the five men being cleared by Chicago Police. The other two men remained “persons of interest” in the massacre case, but were never convicted. Police would eventually get a hot lead on who they thought was one of the killers. A truck driver named Elmer Lewis came forward and told Chicago Police that just minutes before the massacre unfolded, he had turned a corner a block away from 2122 North Clark and sideswiped what he thought was a police car. Mr. Lewis then told police that he stopped immediately, but was waved away by a uniformed driver, who he said was missing a front tooth. Police immediately knew that the description given by Mr. Lewis could be none other than a former member of Egan’s Rats, Fred “Killer” Burke, who had become the Chicago Police’s primary suspect in the massacre early on, but he was nowhere to be found. Burke was known to wear police uniforms whenever he went on robbery sprees.

Police would later charge two of Capone’s gunmen for committing the killings. One of the gunmen, John Scalise, was killed by Capone three months after the massacre, before he went to trial. The charges against the other gunman, Jack McGurn, where eventually dropped due to lack of evidence. The investigation would stall until twelve months to the day after the massacre unfolded. Michigan’s Infamous Connection December 14th, 1929 – the day the aftermath of Chicago’s St. Valentine’s Day Massacre found its way to St. Joseph, Michigan. “Nobody knew that Fred ‘Killer’ Burke had taken up residence in Stevensville, Michigan, which is just a few miles south of St. Joseph,” said Lyon. “Burke had purchased a residence and was living in the area under the alias of ‘Fred Dane’, and nobody knew him to be a gangster.” Around 7:30 p.m. on the evening of December 14th, an incident that changed the course of American criminal history unfolded in the middle of an intersection in downtown St. Joseph. “Burke was driving to the St.

Joseph train station to pick up his wife, Viola, who had spent a few days shopping in Chicago,” said Kline. “He had been drinking heavily, so his driving skills were impaired.” As Burke came to the spot where Cleveland Avenue and Lakeshore Drive converge, he was involved in a minor car accident with a man named Forrest Kool, his wife and three-month old daughter. “The two vehicles pull off to the side of the road, and that’s when Kool exited his vehicle and approached Burke,” said Kline. “Kool allegedly says, ‘you need to give me some money for the damage you just caused to my vehicle.’” Forrest Kool, his wife and 3-month old daughter, were innocently traveling in their vehicle near downtown St. Joseph, Michigan, on the evening of December 14 th , 1929, when all of the sudden they were hit by another vehicle. (Photo: WZZM) Burke pulled a wad of cash out, but all he had were larger bills. “Burke then allegedly told Kool, ‘Tell you what, follow me into town and I’ll break down some of these bills and pay you something,’” said Kline.

“Kool felt that was fine, and the two men got back into their vehicles and headed for downtown St. Joseph.” At some point, Burke must have sped up, or made a sharp turn because Forrest Kool fell off the trail of following him, Kline said. “St. Joseph Police officer Charles Skalay was working foot-patrol downtown on this night,” said Lyon. “Skalay was at the corner of Main and Broad Streets when a vehicle stopped close to him. “It happened to be Forrest Kool.” Kool proceeded to tell officer Skalay about the fender-bender he was involved in, when all of a sudden, Fred Burke ironically drove up to the intersection at Main and Broad Streets, Lyon said. “Kool recognizes Burke and tells officer Skalay that’s the man who hit me,” said Lyon. “Burke sees Kool talking to a police officer, then speeds off.” State St. in 1930. This is where Forrest Kool flagged down officer Charles Skalay to tell him about the car accident he had been involved in with Fred Burke.

(Photo: Chriss Lyon) Officer Skalay hops on the running-board of Forrest Kool’s vehicle, and says, ‘follow him’”, said Kline. “The car chase goes two blocks north on State St., then Burke goes down the hill and gets trapped for a moment near the train station. “Burke eventually eludes Kool again, and drives back up the hill and comes to a stop at the intersection of Broad and Main Streets,” said Kline. “That’s when officer Skalay hopped off Forrest Kool’s running-board and decided to approach Burke’s car. “Witnesses said they watched officer Skalay walk up and tap on Burke’s car window,” said Kline. “Skalay allegedly said to Burke, ‘Hey, you need to pull over; I need to talk to you.’” Burke rolled down his window, pulled a Colt-45 pistol out, and proceeded to shoot officer Skalay twice in the chest, then a third time in the back, Kline said. Officer Charles Skalay was shot and killed, in a downtown St. Joseph intersection, by Fred Burke on December 14 th , 1929.

(Photo: Heritage Museum) “The third shot would prove to be the fatal shot because the bullet clipped an artery near Skalay’s heart, and he eventually died,” Lyon said. “Officer Skalay died never knowing what his true role in history was.” Burke immediately sped away from the scene, but it wasn’t long before he was involved in what ended up being the most costly event of this whole ordeal. Driving at a high rate of speed, Burke failed to negotiate a turn on Lakeshore Blvd., near Lakeshore Dr., and crashed his car, knocking off two of the wheels. “A witness in a nearby house said he heard a big bang, looked out his front window, and saw a man with a hand gun staggering in the road,” said Kline. “Members of the Berrien County Sheriff’s Department heard the report of the car crash and raced to the scene.” Fred Burke was nowhere to be found, but deputies found two items inside Burke’s vehicle that would prove to be just as valuable. “While the officers were going through the abandoned vehicle, they found the Colt-45 pistol that was used to kill officer Skalay, and a receipt to a lumber yard,” said Kline.

“On that receipt was an address to a residence in Stevensville.” Fred Burke’s residence/hideout/bungalow – whatever you’d like to call it. This is how his home looked in 1929 when Berrien County Sheriff’s deputies stormed it and found massive amounts of arsenal and weaponry. (Photo: Berrien County Sheriff Department) Sheriff’s deputies then headed to Stevensville, as their search for this cop-killer continued. “Cops rolled up at the Stevensville residence and found a taxi cab in the driveway, and a ladder leaning against the house leading up to the second floor,” said Lyon. “The taxi had picked up Viola Dane at the train station because Burke never showed. “Viola didn’t have any keys to get into her home, so she asked the cab driver to climb up to the second floor, enter through the window, come downstairs and open the front door for her,” Lyon said. “Sheriff’s deputies entered the house and began searching.” The deputies made their way upstairs, and inside a closet, they noticed a steamer trunk. “They opened up the trunk, and inside it they found a Thompson submachine gun,” said Kline.

“The deputies proceeded to continue to search the house and they found a second Thompson submachine gun with a drum magazine attached to it. “They also found rifles, sawed-off shotguns, a total of seven different handguns, thousands of rounds of ammunition, tear gas grenades, hand grenades, nitroglycerin, some bullet-proof vests and $319,000 in bank notes that had come from a bank in Wisconsin,” added Kline. “It was quite literally the mother lode of all arsenals.” “Everybody at the time knew that two Thompson submachine guns were used in the St. Valentine’s Day massacre,” said Lyon. The Berrien County Sheriff’s office immediately contacted members of the Chicago Police Department and asked them to come to St. Joseph and take a closer look at the confiscated arsenal. Once the Chicago Police arrived and closely examined the arsenal, they determined that the majority of it was likely going to be linked to the massacre. Burke found a way to escape capture, but now that this massive arsenal had been discovered, authorities started to believe it would only be a matter of time before he’d be found. Chicago Police considered Burke as the primary suspect in the St.

Valentine’s Day Massacre, while at the same time, he was wanted by Berrien County Sheriffs for officer Charles Skalay’s murder. Fred Burke had become the most wanted man in America. “Chicago Police immediately requested that both Thompson submachine guns be brought to Chicago so they could be tested by a scientist by the name of Calvin Goddard who, at the time, was introducing a relatively new procedure to criminal investigations called Ballistic-Forensics,” said Kline. “Goddard was being insulated by police at Northwestern University so his work couldn’t be corrupted by the lawlessness and continued gang threats that had overtaken Chicago at the time. “Goddard test-fired the Thompson guns, then used his emerging method to closely examine the ejector marks and etchings on the bullet casings to the same markings on the casings found at the massacre site. “It didn’t take long for Goddard to prove that both Thompson submachine guns were the exact same guns used in the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre.” Goddard’s ability to use his new science to prove that these were the guns that killed seven men spring-boarded him onto the front page of every newspaper in the country.

“Ballistic-Forensics gained notoriety and became a trusted method for detective work and law enforcement, and it’s still trusted and used to this day,” said Kline. “Goddard’s crime lab at Northwestern University expanded, thanks to some huge funding. “The quick adoption of Ballistic-Forensics opened the door for the advent of other law enforcement tools such as the lie detector and the ability to teach the proper procedure of doing plaster castings.” The lie detector and plaster castings are methods law enforcers also are still utilizing today. Soon after Goddard was finished with the guns, they were brought back to Michigan and placed in evidence lockup at the Berrien County Sheriff’s Department. Meantime, the nationwide search continued for Fred Burke, who had fled to rural northern Missouri, hoping to “lay low.” A Michigan police bulletin was put out, offering a $1,000 reward for his capture. Thanks to all his aliases, he’d managed to commit a myriad of crimes, including killing, and avoid the long arm of the law. During his time in Missouri, he had taken on the new name of Richard F. White.

In 1930, a year after both the massacre and the murder of Charles Skalay, “White” married a woman from Sullivan County, Missouri named Bonnie Porter. The couple took up residence near Green City, Missouri. On March 26th, 1931, the law finally caught up to Burke. An amateur detective in Green City had read about Burke and had seen his picture on a recent issue of “True Detective” magazine. The amateur detective immediately recognized that the man in the photo had a striking resemblance to local resident Richard F. White, and notified authorities. Fred Burke was then captured in Green City, Missouri, ironically, without a single gunshot being fired. “Burke was returned to Michigan, even though he was a wanted man in Illinois, Ohio and Wisconsin at the time,” Lyon said. “Authorities in the other states considered him a prime suspect in various crimes, but in Michigan, Berrien County Sheriff’s knew they could convict him for the murder of officer Charles Skalay.” Burke was tried and convicted for officer Charles Skalay’s murder, and was sentenced to life in Marquette Prison, located in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. “Burke was convicted of second-degree murder,” said Lyon.

“He didn’t get first degree murder because he was intoxicated at the time he killed officer Skalay. “One of the statements Burke made to the judge before he was sentenced was, ‘I’m sorry for killing that young boy,’” said Lyon. “Burke was, of course, referring to Charles Skalay. “That was the only confession Burke ever made; he never talked of the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre or any of the other crimes he committed.” Fred Burke spent nine years in the Marquette State Prison before he died of a heart attack July 10th, 1940. This is a copy of the official death certificate of Fred Dane (aka Fred Burke, Thomas A. Camp). Burke died on July 10, 1940 (aged 47), eight years into his life sentence at Michigan’s Marquette State Prison. (Photo: Berrien County Sheriff's Department) “For many years after he passed away, people have been searching for his gravesite,” said Lyon. “Records show Burke was buried in Park Cemetery in Marquette, but there is no Fred Burke listed as buried there.

“When I went to visit his gravesite a few years ago, I realized that Fred Burke was another alias he used. His real name was Thomas Camp, and that’s the name he’s buried under.” The grave site of Thomas A. Camp (aka Fred Burke & Fred Dane). Camp used several aliases during his criminal career, but Thomas A. Camp was his real name. He’s buried in Park Cemetery in Marquette. He died of a heart attack in 1940 (aged 47). (Photo: Chriss Lyon) Nearly a century later, the excesses of the gangster era have all washed away, but some key remnants still remain. The two Thompson submachine guns that were confiscated in Fred Burke’s Stevensville bungalow still exist today, and sit in lockup at the Berrien County Sheriff’s Department. “They’re the most famous murder weapons in the world, and we still have them,” said Kline. “It’s truly amazing when you think about it. “These guns are still in perfect working order, and have not been refurbished in any way.” Berrien County still has the guns because they’re still considered as evidence in an unsolved crime.

If they’re ever taken off the books as evidence, they will have to be destroyed. “Many people were brought in and questioned about the crime but no one was ever charged or convicted for it,” said Kline. “Burke went to prison, but he wasn’t incarcerated for his alleged role in the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre.” When asked if he believed Fred Burke (aka Thomas Camp) was one of the hitmen involved in the St. Valentine’s day Massacre, Kline said, “I’m going to go to my grave pretty much knowing 100 percent that Fred Burke was one of the hitters in that garage that day. “The fact that the guns were in his possession, and confiscated from his residence, and that he liked to dress up as a cop to fool people, and he was witnessed as possibly one of the police officers coming out of the garage that day, tell me that he was one of the hitters.” Since the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre will likely never be solved, the two Thompson submachine guns will remain in Berrien County, Michigan, forever linking St. Joseph and Benton Harbor to the gangster era and the longest unsolved crime in American History.

“It all comes back here to St. Joseph,” said Kline. “If Fred Burke isn’t drunk, and doesn’t get into the fender-bender with Forrest Kool, and if he doesn’t shoot and kill officer Skalay, he would have probably just gone about his business that night, and these guns would have gone into obscurity and maybe never would have been found.” The two Thompson submachine guns aren’t the only remnants that still exist from Michigan’s connection to the gangster era. Fred Burke’s house, where the guns and all the arsenal was discovered, still stands today. Fred Burke’s residence in Stevensville, Michigan (present day Coldwell Banker). (Photo: WZZM) The address is 4333 Red Arrow Highway in Stevensville, Michigan. The house is currently a place of business - a Coldwell Banker Advantage Real Estate agency. The employees who work inside the house are well aware that the structure is a piece of gangster history. If you ever find yourself driving along Red Arrow Highway, you can’t miss it, and if you stop in, maybe one of the employees will show you the upstairs closet where the two Thompson submachine guns were found.

-- If you have an interesting story to tell, or know of someone else who has an interesting story, we would like to share it on Our Michigan Life . Please email story ideas to Brent Ashcroft: brentashcroft@wzzm13.com . Segments of Our Michigan Life air weekday evenings on WZZM 13 News. Share This Story What Was The St. Valentines Day Massacre of 1929? - The NCS Interviews The St. Valentines Day Massacre of 1929 It was a cold and chilly morning in Chicago, the time was 10:30 a.m. and the date was February 14, 1929. This day would mark the end of the North and South side battle for power, which went on for years and saw over 200 mob killings including Dean O’Banion and Hymie Weiss . How Did It Start? It all started when Jack “Machine Gun” McGurn survived a hit that was ordered by Bugs Moran , who stepped up as the North Side Gang leader after the deaths of O’Banion and Weiss.

Moran and Al Capone were at war with each other, and the 1920’s was filled with drive-by shootings in broad daylight and hijacking attempts during the night. Jack “Machine Gun” McGurn McGurn had approached Capone and together they hatched a plot to take out Moran once and for all. McGurn’s Plan of Action McGurn planned the hit very carefully and took his time to go through all the details. He located the North Side gang’s headquarters which was located in a large garage behind the offices of S.M.C. Cartage Company at 2122 North Clark Street. McGurn then came up with the idea of dressing the hitmen in police uniforms so that the North Side Gang wouldn’t suspect foul play. Especially as the gunmen were from out of town so they wouldn’t get recognized. McGurn stole a police car and two police uniforms for the big day. February 13 1929 The day before the massacre McGurn instructed a local booze hijacker to contact Moran. The hijacker would tell Moran that he had obtained a shipment of Old Log Cabin whiskey which he would sell to the North Side Gang for a low price of $57 per case.

The date and time for the meeting was the set…February 14, 10:30am at the North Side Gang HQ. The 6 Mobsters and Optician: Frank Gusenberg, Pete Gusenberg, John May, Albert Weinshank, James Clark, Adam Heyer, and Dr. Reindhart Schwimmer Saint Valentines Day Massacre Victims February 14 1929, 10:30am On that fateful morning, 4 of Capone’s hitmen followed 7 North Side Gang members into the garage. The first two hitmen were dressed in police uniform while the other 2 waited in the police car (following a short time after). The first 2 hitmen lined up the 7 gang members up the wall with their backs turned. There was no fighting or running as this seemed to be just a police raid, there was nothing sinister about the situation. The 7 mobsters handed over their weapons, and then the final 2 hitmen entered the garage carrying a tommy gun each. By then it was too late… The Hitmen: Fred “Killer” Burke, John Scalise, Albert Anselmi, and Joseph Lolordo Suddenly, gunfire ensued.

Tommy guns, a shawn off shotgun and a .45 caliber pistol all directed at the 7 mobsters. Some 150 shots were fired at them, and it is believed that each mobster had an average of 15 bullets in them by the end of the shooting. Aftermath of the Shooting Two of them had been finished off with a shotgun. Some of the bodies’ heads, arms and legs had been severed. Aftermath of the Shooting One of the mobsters was still barely alive when police turned up, and they asked who shot him, but staying true to the code of silence he answered: ‘Nobody shot me.’ He died a few hours later. 5 North Side Gang Bodies The hitmen then walked out, and according to eye-witness testimony they saw two policemen walking out of the building with two plain clothed citizens with their hands on their head in-front of them. They then got in the police car and drove off. James Clark Body Removed The hit was planned and executed brilliantly, but only one problem followed… Bugs Moran wasn’t there, Albert Weinshank was the mobster that they had mistaken for Moran.

Bugs Moran was running late and as he turned up he saw the police car and policemen and decided to drive-off. Bugs Moran Archive - Valentine's Day - Trivia 1. Which archer is one of the symbols of St Valentine's Day? 2. Which male singer had a top ten hit with "Love Train" in 1988? 3. What sign of the zodiac would you be if you were born on St. Valentine's Day? 4. When Marilyn Monroe died, who asked for a fresh rose to be placed on her grave, every week, forever? 5. In the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, what were the hitmen dressed as? 6. In the episode of Friends titled "The One With Ross' Wedding", which special guest star tells Joey that she thinks his hat is "dashing"? 7. Which Shakespearian character said "Good morrow. 'Tis St. Valentine's Day"? 8. Born in Italy in 1895, who was known as cinema's first "great lover"? 9. Who played Juliet opposite Leonardo Di Caprio in the 1996 film "Romeo and Juliet"? 10.

Containing the lines "You're asking me will my love grow, I don't know, I don't know", which Beatles' song did Frank Sinatra describe as the greatest love song ever written? 1. Which archer is one of the symbols of St Valentine's Day? Cupid 3. What sign of the zodiac would you be if you were born on St. Valentine's Day? Aquarius 8. Born in Italy in 1895, who was known as cinema's first "great lover"? Casanova 4. When Marilyn Monroe died, who asked for a fresh rose to be placed on her grave, every week, forever? The local florist 5. In the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, what were the hitmen dressed as? Students 7. Which Shakespearian character said "Good morrow. 'Tis St. Valentine's Day"? Romeo 10. Containing the lines "You're asking me will my love grow, I don't know, I don't know", which Beatles' song did Frank Sinatra describe as the greatest love song ever written? Something 1. Which archer is one of the symbols of St Valentine's Day? Cupid 2.

Which male singer had a top ten hit with "Love Train" in 1988? Holly Johnson 3. What sign of the zodiac would you be if you were born on St. Valentine's Day? Aquarius 4. When Marilyn Monroe died, who asked for a fresh rose to be placed on her grave, every week, forever? Joe DiMaggio 5. In the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, what were the hitmen dressed as? Chicago police officers 6. In the episode of Friends titled "The One With Ross' Wedding", which special guest star tells Joey that she thinks his hat is "dashing"? Sarah Ferguson [just guessing from Googling, since I've never seen this show....] 7. Which Shakespearian character said "Good morrow. 'Tis St. Valentine's Day"? Ophelia 8. Born in Italy in 1895, who was known as cinema's first "great lover"? Rudolph Valentino 9. Who played Juliet opposite Leonardo Di Caprio in the 1996 film "Romeo and Juliet"? Claire Danes [again thanks to Google] 10.

Containing the lines "You're asking me will my love grow, I don't know, I don't know", which Beatles' song did Frank Sinatra describe as the greatest love song ever written? Something [in the way she moves, attracts me like no other lover...] by George Harrison [and the first line by Sweet Baby James Taylor... ha!] 1. Which archer is one of the symbols of St Valentine's Day? Eros, the son of the goddess Aphrodite. Eros was never admitted to the Top Twelve of the Olympian Pantheon because he was very irresponsible, and a bit of a cheat at dice as well. 4. When Marilyn Monroe died, who asked for a fresh rose to be placed on her grave, every week, forever? A pure guess - Arthur Miller, though apparently it should have been most of the male members of the Kennedy clan. 5. In the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, what were the hitmen dressed as? Violinists in an Orchestra? 8. Born in Italy in 1895, who was known as cinema's first "great lover"? The Sheikh? Rudolf Valentino?

Don't know the others The St Valentine’s Day Massacre in Chicago | History Today The St Valentine’s Day Massacre in Chicago USA , North America Economic History Richard Cavendish remembers the infamous mafia massacre of February 14th, 1929. Prohibition in the United States gave a massive boost to crime. In Chicago in the 1920s gangs made fortunes from illegal liquor and the associated protection and vice rackets. The relationships between them were uneasy and there were shifting alliances, disputes over territory and attempts to take complete control by ambitious leaders. In 1924 a storm of violence broke out between the Italian-Sicilian mob led first by Johnny Torrio and then by Al Capone on the city's South Side and the Irish-Jewish crew under Dion O'Banion on the North Side. The Chicago Sun-Times talked of 'the bootleg battle of the Marne' and an editorial in the Herald and Examiner declared 'This is war' as gang killings and gun battles shook the city. Incongruously, Dion O’Banion owned a flower shop on North State Street, where he liked to serve customers and arrange attractive bouquets and window displays.

He also supplied wreaths and flowers for expensive gangster funerals. He was greeted amiably there one day by four customers who shot him dead, and his was the most lavish funeral yet. Capone sent a basket of roses ‘From Al’. A peace treaty was organised in 1926 by the leading gangsters, but it did not hold. Capone, who was cheered to the echo by crowds at sporting events, drove about in an armoured car and was an exceptionally generous tipper. He was intent on taking control of Chicago and was on his way to becoming the most famous criminal of his time. O’Banion was eventually succeeded as leader of the North Side gang by George ‘Bugs’ Moran, an Irish gangster known more for muscle than brain power, who had no intention of submitting to ‘them Sicilians’. On February 13th, 1929, a tempting phone call to Moran told him that a truckload of whisky had just arrived from Detroit and he could have it at a bargain price. He ordered the whisky to be delivered at 10.30 the next morning at the garage of the S.M.C.

Cartage Company on North Clark Street, where he kept his bootlegging trucks. It happened to be St Valentine’s Day, the day for delivering tender tokens of affection, when a Cadillac, ostensibly a police car, drove up to the building at around 10.50 am and five men got out. Witness statements varied over details, but it seems that two of the men were in police uniforms and the other three in ordinary civilian clothes. They went into the garage. Eight minutes later, after loud rattling noises and what sounded like trucks backfiring, two of the civilians came out with their hands up, shepherded by the third, and the two ‘police officers’ with guns in their hands, described by a witness as ‘walking slow and easy-like’. The men drove away, neighbours cautiously investigated and found a scene which would make headlines all over the country. Six dead men and another who was dying were lying on the concrete floor among scattered tyres, pools of blood, chairs and shell casings at the foot of a wall. Five of them were members of Moran’s gang, another was a Moran hanger-on and the last was an unfortunate mechanic who worked in the garage and just happened to be there.

His dog was the only survivor. The police investigation showed that the men had been lined up against the wall and mowed down by machine-gun bullets sprayed efficiently across first their heads, then their chests and finally their stomachs. Two of them had been finished off with a shotgun. Some of the bodies’ heads, arms and legs had been severed. The dying Moran gangster was taken to hospital. When the police asked who shot him, he answered: ‘Nobody shot me.’ He died a few hours later, still refusing to say what had happened and who had done it. Capone was away from Chicago at the time, but few doubted who had ordered the massacre. Certainly Moran had not. The assailants had presumably intended to kill Moran himself, but he arrived late at the scene. One of the dead men who looked and dressed rather like Moran may have been taken for him by the gunmen. They may have been a mixture of Capone’s men and hitmen brought in from outside. After long and complicated investigations, two Capone gunmen were accused of the killings and sent for trial, but one of them was murdered and the other was given an alibi by his girlfriend. He too was murdered later on.

Moran managed to keep control of his territory for a while, but the North Side gang never recovered and was presently taken over by an operation called the Chicago Outfit. The massacre concentrated the federal authorities’ attention on Capone. He was convicted of income tax evasion in 1931 and sentenced to prison for 11 years. He died in 1947. Moran died in prison ten years later. “Machine Gun” Jack McGurn - St. Valentines Day Massacre December 31, 2016 “Machine Gun” Jack McGurn – St. Valentines Day Massacre “Machine Gun” Jack McGurn was an Italian-American born in Licata, Sicily population 39,000 on July 2, 1902. His birth name was Vincenzo Gibaldi, however he had other variations such as Vincent Gebardi, and Vincenzo Demory. At four years old he and his mother, Giuseppa Verderame, just 24 years old according to the ships manifest arrived at Ellis Island on November 24, 1906.

They arrived, just the two of them, and awaited Jack’s brother and father who would arrive later in the year. As a teenager McGurn grew up in the Chicago slums having to fight his way in a difficult neighborhood. He changed his name to “Battling” Jack McGurn and took up a career in boxing. The name McGurn, is Irish, and at the time Irish boxers got better bookings than Italians. He boxed from 1921 to 1923 and was referred to as the local 147 pounder from the West side. McGurn didn’t run with the local street gangs, he focused on boxing, worked part-time and minded his own business. It wasn’t until his stepfather was assassinated by gang extortionists on January 28, 1923, that McGurn turned to a life of crime. Three men were responsible for his stepfather’s slaying, and McGurn took it upon himself to avenge the murder and killed all three. This act provided his introduction to Capone in late 1923 as a recruit for the Circus gang, a Capone subgroup run by Claude “Screwy Moore” Maddox.

McGurn’s specialty in the Circus gang was as a bodyguard and killer. Capone noticed these attributes and used McGurn as his personal bodyguard. McGurn can be seen everywhere Capone went, football and baseball games, and nightclubs. It’s been said that McGurn was not only a ruthless killer but also kept intelligence on Capone rivals having uncovered several murder plots before any attempts took place. On September 5, 1929, gangsters and professional hit men Edward Westcott and Frank Cawley were found killed in a Chicago suburb. Both men had Buffalo Nickels pressed into their hands. On December 12, 1930, Rudolph Marino and his brother Sam were found dead; murdered gangland style. Both men also had Buffalo Nickels pressed into their hand, and although there is no proof, the Buffalo nickel is said to be a calling card of a McGurn hit. Although feared, McGurn was also the occasional target of assassination. In one such situation members of the deadly Northsiders gang almost cut McGurn in half by machine gun fire as he walked through the smoke shop in the McCormick hotel.

The hitmen spotted McGurn from the street; both ran in one with the Thompson machine gun and the other a 45 caliber automatic revolver. The Thompson machine gun cut through McGurn’s right lung, chest, and arm as he dove for cover behind a partition wall. Fearing return fire the hitmen fled leaving McGurn to hobble to his feet and back to his hotel room, number 906 where he asked a bell boy to find a doctor. After McGurn recovered he was once again placed at Al Capone side. Capone welcomed him back with a plan to rid themselves of the Northsider’s and Bugs Moran gang once and for all. Their meeting was the beginning plans of the St. Valentine’s Day massacre. On February 14, 1929 five members and the North Side gang were lined up against Police re-enactment of the shooting using the same garage, and wall, the men were killed one day earlier. a garage wall and executed. Two of the shooters were dressed as uniformed police officers while the others wore suits, ties, overcoats and hats, according to the witnesses who saw the “police” leading the other men at gunpoint out of the garage after the shooting.

Bugs Moran escaped the slaughter arriving late to the meeting. McGurn was questioned immediately after the slaying and provided an alibi stating he was in a hotel with his girlfriend Louise Rolfe who claimed they spent the entire day together. McGurn was charged in the case but never brought to trial due in large part to his alibi. In April 1930 chairman of the Chicago crime commission published a nationwide list of public enemy’s that were corrupt in Chicago and its suburbs. Machine Gun Jack McGurn was fourth on the list. The notoriety McGurn received from the list cause the Outfit to turn their backs on him. The spotlight was too great. Having nowhere to turn McGurn, an avid golfer since youth, attempted a career as a professional. He had been a silent partner in a golf course on Western Avenue for many years and played well. McGurn and brother Anthony after being pulled off the golf course and placed in a police lineup. On August 25, 1933 the Western Open Golf Championships began at Olympia Fields Country Club a southern suburb of Olympia Fields Illinois.

McGurn entered the competition using an alias, Vincent Gebhadi where he carded a 13 over par 83 on his first day. The next morning the name Gebhardi was published on a list of golfers set to tee off for day to when an alert police officer noticed the name as an alias for McGurn. The police chief was notified who subsequently sent two sergeants and five uniformed officers to arrest him. McGurn was arrested on the seventh green; however he politely requested to finish the round. The officers agreed and became part of his gallery escorting him until he finished a 16 over par 86, 14 strokes above making the cut. With his cover blown McGurn’s golf career was all but over. He played with his brother Anthony and was arrested on the course several times after that. On February 15, 1936, McGurn entered a bowling alley at 805 Milwaukee Ave. with two so-called friends. Upon setting up his bowling game another man entered and yelled for everyone to stand still.

He said, “You move and you die.” The two men accompanying McGurn, and the third man subsequently formed a semi circle around him, pulled out their guns, and fired. McGurn was hit several times; three in the head and once in the back before collapsing to the floor; payback for the massacre of the North Side gang seven years earlier. “Machine Gun” Jack McGurn after he was shot and killed. Contrary to popular belief, there was no Valentine card found on his body, however left at the front desk a note states “you lost your dough and handsome houses, but things could be worse you know at least you haven’t lost your trousers”. On March 2, 1936, less than a month after McGurn was gunned down his brother Anthony was shot by three men in a Chicago pool hall after stating he knew who killed Jack.

Question: In the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, what were the hitmen dressed as?
Answer: Policemen